Spotlight
New Delhi, 12 June 2007
VIDEO GAME ON
DISASTER REDUCTION
NEW DELHI, June 13 (INFA): Children can now
learn how to respond to and mitigate disasters through a new internet video
game, launched recently by the United Nations.
The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) has
started a project, “Stop Disaster Game” as part of its campaign on education
called “Disaster Risk Reduction”. The projects starts at Schools and teaches
how to build safer villages and cities against disasters.
Children will learn how the location and construction
materials can make a difference when disaster strikes and how early warning
systems evacuation plans and education can save lives and livelihoods.
The UN experts believe that had such systems and plans
existed at the time of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami scores of thousands of the
more than 200,000 lives lost could have been saved.
Produced by Playerthree, an English company, and
downloadable in less than three
minutes, the game gives players different types of missions
to accomplish within a specific budget and time limit before a simulated
hurricane, earthquake, flood, tsunami or wildfire strikes.
They have to choose between five scenarios with three levels
of difficulty and the winners will be the ones who save more people and
livelihoods.
At present the game is available only on the internet and in
English but a multi-language version will be released on International Disaster
Reduction Day on 10 October.
“We are aware that not all children have easy access to Internet and we are already preparing a DVD
format to reach more youngsters in remote areas in Africa, Asia and Pacific or
Latin America and Caribbean,” says ISDR
Director, Briceno.
“We are also thinking of adding new scenarios such as
drought which is a devastating disaster in many parts of the world,” he added.
The ISDR
previously produced a board game called Riskland, aimed at children aged 6 to
10. The game has been a very successful
educational tool and has been translated into many local languages.
The ISDR is not the only UN body turning to internet games
to raise the awareness of
youngsters. In 2005, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) launched ‘Food Force’
(www.food-force.com), an internet video game with a virtual world of planes
launching food airdrops over crisis zones and emergency trucks struggling up
treacherous roads under rebel threat with emergency supplies to teach children
the arduous but vital task of feeding the world’s hungry. Millions of
youngsters around the world have since downloaded the game.
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